English 209
Literary Approaches to Film

CRN 71299 / W 2:20-5:20 / G101

Welcome to English 209

This course is historically a lot of fun. We will watch, analyze, research, and write about many diverse films, both classic and contemporary. We will engage in meaningful and critical conversations about these texts and how art (film/stories/representation) impacts our lives and communities. You will also have the opportunity to guide our learning and choose films that you are passionate and curious about.

I love teaching this class because I love watching films and unpacking it all with really smart people like you! My hope is that you emerge with a keener eye for film composition and a deeper understanding of how film "does what it does".

About Professor Derilo

Photo of adult me with a portrait of three-year-old me in the Philippines before she immigrated to the U.S. (My mom has this in her house today!)

I'm a current setter of Kumeyaay ancestral lands, but I was born in the Philippines and raised in Paradise Hills as the eldest daughter of a working-class, single-mother household. I attended Southwestern College before transferring to and graduating from UC San Diego with a bachelor's in Literatures of the World. I received my Masters in Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing at Mills College. I've been having a grand ol' time teaching at Mesa since 2015. I do a bunch of bureaucratic stuff on campus, too.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I love watching television, nerding out on "cultural stuff", eating both bougie and budget food, and bragging about my cats (Hazelnut Junipurr and Wolfgang Nospurratu Darling). Sometimes I make art, write poetry, bake desserts, and hang out with people. One time I learned how to skateboard during a global pandemic.

My Teaching Philosophy

I believe in the power of kapwa, a native Filipino ethos of caring for others as you would yourself, and abolitionist teaching as the key to transformative learning. My role is to create an educational environment, or what Dr. Bettina Love refers to as homeplace, in which you feel supported and cared for so that you will be confident in yourself to create goals you want to achieve. To achieve this, our coursework--activities, projects, readings, viewings--will center voices and stories that are often silenced or marginalized. We will discuss this work, as well as produce our own stories. We will practice radical trust and honor the stories shared in our homeplace by providing feedback to each other with compassion and respect. I'm humbled to be your guide and co-conspirator in our homeplace for the next 16 weeks--and beyond. It's important to me that we all feel seen so that we can thrive.

Keeping in Touch

jderilo@sdccd.edu or Canvas inbox
You can expect a reply from me within 24-36 hrs. Monday to Friday.

Student Drop-In Hours

Tues. 4:00-5:00 p.m. / B-104 or Zoom (link)

Weds. 12:00-1:00 p.m. / G-317 or Zoom:

Thurs. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. / Zoom: Thurs. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Also, by appointment: If you can't make these hours, contact me, and we'll make it happen!

Important Dates

08/30 - Add/Drop/Refund Deadline
09/02 - Labor Day (campus closed)
10/25 - Withdrawal + Pass/No Pass Option Deadlines
11/11 - Veterans Day (campus closed)
11/28 to 11/29 - Fall Break (campus closed)
12/16 - Last Day of Fall Semester
12/23/24 - 01/01/25 - Winter Break (campus closed)
Withdraw from classes and receive a "W": 09/20/2024

Wolfie looking handsome.

Hazelnut acting coy.

Our Course Theme

All of our readings and assignments** are organized around the central theme, "Looking Back: Seeing the Screen with a Critical Eye". Having a central theme for the next sixteen weeks will help us focus our thinking and conversations, share a common interest, and develop a kind of expertise on the topic.

We will consider the following guiding questions, and my hope is that we generate more together:

What does it mean to be a spectator? Is that a different role from being a critical viewer?
What is the relationship between the viewers and the moving visual images? Do we passively accept what is being projected on the screen? Or, are we are given an opportunity to suture our point-of-view to the narrative/protagonist?
Do we have a responsibility in our role as spectator? What might it be?
Do films and filmmakers play to the audience’s expectations, ideologies, and/or identities? Do they resist audience expectations, ideologies, identities?
Can/should viewers read films against the grain? Why? How?

** All of our readings and assignments will be made available on Canvas.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT REQUIRED FILMS: I will make every effort to assign films that are free and immediately accessible. As such, many of our films will be available on SWANK, which is a streaming service provided by our college library. On occasion, there might be a film or two that you might have to rent for a small fee ($2-$5). Please let me know if cost might be an issue for you, and we will figure it out together.

The Official Stuff

Course Description

This course is a study of film from a literary perspective. Emphasis is placed on reading and writing about film, film analysis, and cultural impact. Topics include film composition,

genre, and literary criticism. This course is designed for English majors and all students interested in literature and/or film. (Prerequisites: English 48 and 49, each with a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent, or Assessment Skill Level R5 and W5. Completion of English 101 or 105 is recommended.)

Course Learning Objectives

Rhetorical Awareness: Students will demonstrate rhetorical awareness and organizational strategies by analyzing literary elements through clear, coherent writing.
Critical Thinking: Students will demonstrate critical thinking by relating literature to cultural and civilizational contexts in their reading and writing assignments.
Global Awareness: Students will demonstrate global awareness by analyzing literature from diverse cultures and perspectives, exploring how different worldviews and contexts shape literary works and their interpretations.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Identify and apply ways of writing about film.

2. Recognize, analyze and explain various approaches to film composition.

3. Distinguish between genres of film.

4. Evaluate each genre of film from a critical perspective.

5. Analyze various forms of literary theory and apply them to film.

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English 209 Literary Approaches to Film